2026-01-16 18:13:25Derek staggered to his feet, hand pressed against his burning cheek. The sting was nothing compared to the rage flooding through his veins.
He yanked his phone out, fingers trembling as he dialed.
"Security, get to the executive floor NOW!" His voice cracked. "I want this man arrested for assault!"
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor within seconds. Thomas Berg appeared with two other guards, his face professionally neutral as he assessed the scene. Derek's red handprint was impossible to miss.
"He assaulted me!" Derek jabbed his finger at Marcus. "Look at my face! I want him arrested and charged!"
Thomas turned to Marcus, who stood exactly where he'd been, hands at his sides, breathing steady.
"Sir, I need you to come with us."
Marcus nodded once. No argument. No plea. Just quiet acceptance.
Jessica stepped forward, her voice shaking.
"He was protecting me! Derek tried to hit me first and Marcus..."
"Shut UP!" Derek whirled on her. "You're FIRED for defending this piece of trash!"
Thomas gestured to Marcus. "Sir, please."
Marcus moved toward the guards without resistance. The crowd parted like water, phones still raised, still recording. He passed Derek without looking at him, and for just a moment their eyes met.
Derek expected fear. Anger. Something.
What he saw looked almost like pity.
"Make sure he's blacklisted from every company in this city," Derek called after them. "I want him to never work again!"
The guards escorted Marcus toward the elevator. The doors closed. He was gone.
Derek straightened his suit jacket, touched his cheek. Still stung like hell, but it was worth it. He'd won. Marcus was finished.
Just then;
DING.
Derek's phone lit up with a notification. Then another. Around him, phones erupted like popcorn. DING. DING. DING.
Employees pulled out their phones, faces shifting as they read.
"What the..." someone muttered.
"Ownership transfer?" another voice whispered.
"Marcus Hayes? Fifty one percent?"
The murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Confused faces, furrowed brows, people refreshing their emails like the words might change.
"That can't be real," someone said.
"Has to be a mistake," another agreed.
"But it's from the Board of Directors..."
"He's the messenger. This doesn't make any sense."
Derek snatched the phone from the employee nearest him and read the email.
SUBJECT: Ownership Transfer, Effective Immediately
FROM: Board of Directors, Langford Technologies
Marcus Hayes is now majority shareholder with 51% controlling stake. Emergency board meeting tomorrow, 9 AM. All department heads required to attend.
Derek's face went white. His hands started to shake.
Then he laughed.
It started as a chuckle, then grew into something louder, crueler. The kind of laugh that made people uncomfortable.
"He faked it!" Derek held up the phone like evidence at a trial. "Look at this pathetic attempt!"
A few people glanced at each other, uncertain.
"You think that loser owns anything?" Derek's voice rose, commanding the corridor. "He can't even afford new shoes! This is the most desperate, sad thing I've ever seen!"
Mark and David laughed nervously, following Derek's lead. Some employees nodded. It made sense. Easier to believe than the alternative.
"The fool got tired of being a beggar and decided to play dress up!" Derek was hitting his stride now, feeding off the crowd's uncertainty. "He probably paid some hacker to send fake emails!"
"But how would he..." someone started.
"Does it matter?" Derek cut them off. "Look at him! Does THAT man look like he owns a multi million dollar company?"
More nods. More relieved faces. They wanted to believe Derek. It was simpler that way.
"This is his last pathetic attempt at a fake life before I destroy him completely!" Derek's grin was vicious. "When I'm done with him, he'll wish he never..."
The elevator at the end of the corridor dinged.
The sound cut through Derek's speech like a knife.
Heavy footsteps. Fast. Urgent.
The crowd turned.
Victoria Reeves, the CEO of the company burst into the corridor like a storm.
Sharp gray suit, tablet clutched in one hand, face flushed like she'd been running. Three board members rushed behind her, all of them looking equally frantic.
The crowd parted instantly.
"Ms. Reeves," someone breathed.
Employees straightened up, phones disappearing into pockets. Victoria's eyes swept the corridor, wild and searching.
"Where is Marcus Hayes?"
Her voice was urgent. Almost panicked.
Derek's stomach dropped. Something was wrong. She wasn't supposed to look scared.
Victoria's gaze locked onto Derek.
"You. Where is he?"
Derek opened his mouth, tried to find his confidence again.
"Security took him to the holding office, but Ms. Reeves, I can explain..."
"You had him TAKEN?" Victoria's face went pale.
"Yes! He assaulted me and sent fake emails claiming he..."
Victoria wasn't listening. She was already dialing her phone, pressing it to her ear.
"Thomas, release Marcus Hayes immediately. RIGHT NOW."
She hung up without waiting for a response and turned back to Derek.
Behind her, the three board members were whispering urgently to each other, their faces tight with worry.
The crowd was dead silent. Watching. Waiting.
Derek's shirt was sticking to his back with sweat, but he could still salvage this. He just needed to explain. Needed to make her understand.
He walked toward Victoria quickly, forcing a confident smile onto his face.
"Ms. Reeves, I'm actually glad you're here."
Victoria's expression was unreadable.
"One of your employees sent fraudulent emails to the entire company." Derek gestured at the watching crowd. "Everyone received them. Fake ownership transfer documents."
He pointed back toward where Marcus had been standing.
"Marcus Hayes, the messenger, he's behind it. He hacked the company system and forged board authorization."
Derek's chest puffed out. He was handling this. Taking charge. Showing leadership.
"I had him arrested for assault AND cyber fraud. I acted quickly to protect the company's integrity and contain the situation before it could cause more damage."
His smile widened. He could already see the corner office, the raise, the title bump.
"I think my actions today demonstrate the kind of initiative you look for in upper management positions..."
Victoria's hand moved.
CRACK.
The slap tore across Derek's face like lightning.
His head snapped sideways and he crashed into the wall.
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Chapter 216
The next day.Aldrian sat in his room, a cauldron placed in front of him. After returning from the Alchemist Association headquarters, he had delved deeper into his knowledge of alchemy. He purchased advanced books on alchemy, the most expensive cauldron available in their store, and ingredients for concocting pills. All of these purchases were but a drop of water in the ocean of his wealth, so he spared no expense.Just as he had done when learning blacksmithing, he was eager to practice his concoction skills. Inside his luxurious room, he had already created formations identical to those in the Alchemist Association’s concoction room. Anyone passing by his room would neither smell nor sense anything unusual.Aldrian seemed lost in his own world as he immersed himself in practice, already having produced several pills using new recipes. He resembled a child with a new toy, his enthusiasm for learning alchemy reaching new heights. After several hours, he finally stepped out of his roo
Chapter 215
The young man kept walking but glanced at the old man for a split second before saying,"Yes, elder brother is still on the frontlines. He is in Karak now, inspecting the remnants of the battle. The simultaneous appearance of the Wrath Devil and an Emperor-stage Hydra is no simple matter, so father has asked him to stay there for some time, just in case something happens."This young man was none other than Alderia Doria, the second prince of the Doria Empire."He is also there to investigate the sudden appearance of a golden light, which was revealed to be a technique—a powerful one at that. The problem is, we don’t know anything about the person who unleashed it. Is he a friend or a threat to the empire? We are still investigating whether this could also be one of the reasons the devils retreated. That said, with my elder brother’s instincts and sharp senses, I am confident he will uncover something," Alderia added."By the way, let’s put that aside for now, teacher. I must thank yo
Chapter 214
They emerged from the room under the watchful eyes of many onlookers. The three grandmaster alchemists had been inside the room for over three days, and this was the first time they had come out. Following them were a young man and a young woman, leaving the crowd wondering about their identities.The three grandmasters appeared to be escorting them as they made their way to the upper floor. Those who had previously seen Aldrian buying a beginner’s book felt as though they were dreaming. Who was this young man, that even the grandmasters of the association would personally escort him?Many people murmured among themselves, speculating about what had happened and questioning Aldrian’s identity to warrant the privilege of meeting with the three grandmasters of the Association. Ignoring the chatter, Aldrian and the others continued walking toward the topmost floor of the building. As Aldrian ascended, he observed the various sections on each floor, noticing that the higher floors held in
Chapter 213
After closing the door, Marco looked at Aldrian with a blank expression. He had just asked the receptionist who attended to Aldrian, and true to Aldrian’s words, he had indeed only purchased a cheap cauldron and a beginner’s book on alchemy. Marco had also contacted the registration department through a communication artifact, and they confirmed that there was no one named Aldrian Aster in their records.Did Aldrian come from another alchemist association? If they had someone like Aldrian, they would surely boast about it to the entire continent and make the Alchemist Association eat their dust. Aldrian’s mere appearance had already shifted the balance of power among the alchemist groups on the continent. But even if Aldrian truly belonged to another association, what purpose could he have in joining the Alchemist Association? To steal recipes? No, with Aldrian’s capabilities, there would be no need to steal anything.He couldn’t make sense of the situation. Did Aldrian really achieve
Chapter 2120
"How did you do it? This kind of pill is unheard of—the purity, the smell, the energy it exudes—there’s nothing like other pills," Marco said as he took the pill, gazing at it as though inspecting a treasure. He then looked at Aldrian."May I consume it?"Before Aldrian could answer, someone had already entered the room."Damn it, Marco got here before us.""That old man is really fast."Two people entered through the door—a man and a woman of the same age as Marco. They walked inside and immediately glanced at the pills in Marco’s and Aldrian’s hands. They wore the same robes and badges, each adorned with 10 stars, signifying that they held the same status as Marco."Aberin Louise and Maria Valentina."Aldrian glanced at their information before answering Marco."Of course, senior. You can consume it. It’s only a supplement pill—I can make more if you need," Aldrian replied.Hearing his answer, the three alchemists widened their eyes in disbelief."This is a supplement pill? Not some
Chapter 211
After waiting for a while, Aldrian thought to himself."Let’s see if my Eyes of Heaven can work here like it did in blacksmithing."With that thought, a screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, displaying numbers, steps, and instructions to achieve the most perfect result."Good," he smiled. He was not surprised that his Eyes of Heaven could do this much, as it wasn’t all that different from creating an artifact.The screen displayed complete information: the precise temperature of the cauldron, the sequence in which the herbs needed to be added, and the methods he needed to use.After the cauldron’s heat reached the temperature indicated on the screen, he immediately picked up one of the herbs and placed it inside.Elaine, watching from the side, quickly realized from Aldrian’s movements that he had never handled a cauldron or anything related to alchemy before. His actions seemed rigid, unlike the fluid motions of the alchemists she had observed at the Association long ago.She won
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